A 28-year-old Pocatello man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison this month for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, capping a case that began with drug sales in the Pocatello area throughout the summer and fall of 2025. Michael Joseph Pena will also serve five years of supervised release once his prison term ends.
U.S. District Judge David C. Nye handed down the sentence after Pena pleaded guilty on June 23, according to a Department of Justice press release. Pena was convicted of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's DEASeattle
social media account, which announced the sentencing.
Admissions Made During Police Questioning
Pena told investigators during interrogation that he had distributed illegal drugs in the Pocatello area, admitting to selling methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the summer and fall of last year, as reported by Local News 8. Those admissions came before he entered his guilty plea in June.
The case did not end with Pena. Two co-defendants, William Hoover and Brandon Hoover, were indicted alongside him, the Department of Justice release states. William Hoover has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial on November 23, while Brandon Hoover has an initial court appearance set for October 5, leaving the broader conspiracy case still working its way through federal court.
A Multi-Agency Task Force Behind the Case
The investigation that led to Pena's conviction involved the Drug Enforcement Administration and Idaho State Police.
The case involved fentanyl distribution in Pocatello.
Idaho's Mandatory Minimums and a Fentanyl Crisis
This section discusses methamphetamine offenses and fentanyl trafficking in Idaho.
This section also discusses Idaho's drug-overdose statistics and fentanyl's role in opioid-related deaths.
